OCA Denounces 'Muslim Registry' and Appeal to Japanese Incarceration During WWII​

WASHINGTON, D.C. - OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates denounced the plan to institute a "Muslim registry" and the appeal to the unconstitutional Japanese American incarceration during WWII as a possible grounds for justification of the registry.This Wednesday on Fox News, Carl Higbie spoke out in favor of a "Muslim registry" that would maintain a list of Muslim immigrants in order to track their activities for the purported reason of stopping terrorism. This idea was originally proposed by Kris Kobach, an anti-immigrant lawmaker who claims to be advising President-Elect Trump on his transition team. Higbie, a spokesman for the Make America Great Again PAC and a campaign surrogate for Trump, told host Megyn Kelly in discussing the legality of such a program, "I know the ACLU is going to challenge it, but I think it will pass. We've done it with Iran back a while ago. We did it during World War II with Japanese. Call it what you will, maybe wrong.""The idea of a Muslim registry is inherently discriminatory and antithetical to American values of equality and fair treatment under the law," said Leslie Moe-Kaiser, OCA National President. "This program would not only single out innocent people based on their religion for wrongful prosecution and deportation, but also would be ineffective in stopping terrorism. Carl Higbie's invocation of one of the most shameful episodes of Asian American history as 'precedent' for this registry is a prime example of why we, as Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, must be ever vigilant in preventing a repeat betrayal of the Constitution. Any effort to rewrite history that revives the grossly misguided 'necessity' of the internment camps is an insult to the memory of the 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent wrongfully incarcerated during WWII. If President-Elect Trump really will be a President for all Americans, then he must disavow Carl Higbie and Kris Kobach. He must also immediately condemn the idea of any kind of registry that singles out residents based on their ethnicity, religion, national origin, or other identity."

On Tuesday, The Bill O’Reilly Show sent reporter Jesse Watters to “investigate” the effect of criticism of the Chinese government in the current election on Chinese Americans in New York City Chinatown. However, Jesse Watters reporting resulted in demeaning stereotypes of the local Chinatown community rather than investigation of the story at hand. The segment repeatedly mocked community members that could not speak or understand English, conflated Japanese and Chinese cultural institutions, fetishized and sexualized Asian culture, and continuously highlighted stereotypes as wholly representative of the Asian Pacific American community, such as martial arts, massage parlors, accents, and herbal medicine shops.

“This segment was grossly offensive to Chinese Americans and all Asian Pacific Americans who have ever had to suffer through the many false equivocations and damaging stereotypes that were mentioned in rapid-fire succession during the show,” said Leslie Moe-Kaiser, OCA National President. “By going to the Chinese American community under the auspices of journalism and then unleashing a barrage of offensive stereotypes, Bill O’Reilly, Jesse Watters, and Fox News have completely trivialized the community’s view on this important election. At a time when politicians have fallen back on xenophobia to get ahead in the polls, it is disheartening to hear such offensive behavior come out of the media even as our power in the political process grows. Fox News should immediately disavow the segment and apologize to the Chinese American community for making a mockery of their language, culture, and political views.”OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national organization of community advocates dedicated to improving the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs).​

Professor Xiaoxing Xi, a Chinese American physics professor at Temple University, was suddenly arrested at his home in May 2015 and prosecuted by the U.S. government for passing technology secrets to China. The charges against him were dropped because in its rush to judgment, the federal government misconstrued his academic research. Professor Xi is just one example in a long list of Asian American scientists--from Wen Ho Lee to Sherry Chen--who have been falsely charged with espionage.

Joyce Xi, daughter of Professor Xi, will speak about her family's ordeal. She is calling for the U.S. government to apologize for its misdeeds and take action to prevent unjust racial profiling of Asian American scientists in the name of national security.

On Tuesday, October 4, 5:30 to 7:30 pm, at Roosevelt House (47-49 East 65th Street) in New York City this special event organized by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund and Mapping Asian American New York (MAANY). Peter Kwong, Distinguished Professor at Hunter College and co-author of Chinese America: The Untold Story of America's Oldest New Community, will join Margaret Fung, Executive Director of AALDEF in moderating this event. Please RSVP here or call 212-966-5923 before September 30th.

Special thanks to Roosevelt House and Dean of Arts and Sciences, Hunter College, and to our co-sponsors (list in formation): Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY); Asian American Studies Program, Hunter College; Coalition for the Revitalization of Asian American Studies at Hunter (CRAASH), Columbia University Asian American Alliance, NYU Asian Pacific American Law Students Association.​

Danny Chen was a 19 year old soldier, found dead in Afghanistan on October 3, 2011, after weeks of unrelenting hazing and racial maltreatment by his supervisors. The public and the military must never forget the sacrifice Pvt. Chen made for our country and the need to ensure all members of the armed forces are treated with "respect and dignity." With the recent suicide of Raheel Siddiqui, a Pakistani American Marine recruit as a result of hazing and religious bigotry and the alarming high rate of suicide still in the military, this reminder is imperative. And, October being anti-bullying month, our events will reach grammar school, high school, and college students, as well as the public nationwide.

Please support the Japanese American Association (JAA) of NY and the New York Buddhist Church by buying tickets to Sadako, the musical from Hawaii that is being performed in NY on Sept 9 (evening) and Sept 10 (mat and evening). It is a story of hope that started a world peace movement in remembrance of the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.

Tickets range from $15 for students of all ages to $30/40 for general admission. VIP tickets including a reception on Friday night are $250. Please call Suki Ports at 212-749-6957 if you have any questions.

This is the first trip to NY for many of the cast members so we would like to give them a warm welcome by selling out these performances at John Jay College in Manhattan.

Thank you!

OCA-NY Advocate

OCA-NY is co-sponsoring the Candidates Forum for Senate District 16 on Tuesday, August 23rd. Come hear what these candidates have to say on important issues that impacts Bayside, Flushing, Forest Hills, Rego Park, Fresh Meadows and Elmhurst before the September 13th Primary.Date: Tuesday, August 23rdTime: 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm (doors open at 6:00 pm)Place: Queens Public Library – Flushing Branch 41-17 Main StreetRSVP: Info@OCA-NY.orgSimultaneous translation will be provided in Bengali, Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, Urdu, and TagalogCo-sponsored by APA VOICE and Members: Asian Americans for Equality, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, CHHAYA CDC, Chinese American Planning Council-Queens, Korean American League for Civic Action, Korean Community Services, MinKwon Center for Community Action, OCA-NY Asian Pacific American Advocates, Pilipino American Unity for Progress, South Asian Council for Social Services, and YWCA Queens. In partnership with Asian American/Asian Research Institute, Asian American Bar Association of New York, Common Cause New York, NAACP Northeast Queens Branch, and The New York Immigration Coalition.

OCA-NY is co-sponsoring the Candidates Forum for Assembly District 65 on Sunday, August 14th. Come hear what these candidates have to say on issues that impacts Chinatown and the Lower East Side. Come prepare with questions that are important to you.

We are happy to announce that we are partnering with the Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) to promote the following programs! Please take advantage of our 25% Community Partner discount rate for any program at AAIFF (excluding Opening, Centerpiece, and Closing Night). Go to http://aaiff.org/2016/schedule and enter the promo code OCAaaiff16 after you’ve added your desired ticket(s).

AAIFF is the first and longest running festival in the country devoted to films by and about Asians and Asian Americans. This year, AAIFF will run from July 21 through July 30, 2016. Please visit http://aaiff.org/2016 for more information. AAIFF’s social media handle is @asiancinevision, and its hashtag this year is #aaiff2016.

We are happy to partner with the Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) in presenting the following programs:​

BREATHIN’: THE EDDY ZHENG STORY + Q&A | Dir. Ben Wang | USA | 7:30pm, Fri., July 22 | Village East Cinema, 181-189 2nd Ave., New York, NY 10003Arrested at 16 and tried as an adult for kidnapping and robbery, Eddy Zheng served over 20 years in California prisons and jails. Director Ben Wang’s film paints an intimate portrait of Eddy—the prisoner, the immigrant, the son, the activist—on his journey to freedom, rehabilitation and redemption.

PAINTED NAILS + Q&A | Dir. Erica Jordan & Dianne Griffin | USA | 1:30pm, Sun., July 24 | Village East Cinema, 181-189 2nd Ave., New York, NY 10003Discovering that her health problems and two miscarriages were caused by toxic chemicals in nail products, Van Hoang, a Vietnamese immigrant and nail salon owner, becomes one of the first workers in decades to testify against the cosmetic industry before Congress.

TYRUS + Q&A | Dir. Pamela Tom | USA | 6:30pm, Sun., July 24 | Village East Cinema, 181-189 2nd Ave., New York, NY 10003At 105 years old, Tyrus Wong is a living legend. He is not only the oldest living Chinese American painter, but also the genius illustrator whose design gave birth to Disney’s animated feature Bambi, and whose storyboards inspired the mise-en-scène of numerous Warner Brother’s classics, such as Rebel Without a Cause and Giant. TYRUS unearths the works of an unrecognized genius and his life-long struggle against racism and discrimination in the American film industry.

Earlier today, the Supreme Court decided in a tie in U.S. v. Texas, resulting in a continuation of the lower court injunction against President Obama's deferred action programs. Both deferred action programs, DACA and DAPA, have been the subjects of several attempts to remove this necessary relief through lawsuits directed at the Obama Administration.

After decades of anti-immigrant obstruction to comprehensive immigration reform, four years ago President Obama used his lawful enforcement authority to create the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This program was supplemented two years later by a further expansion to DACA that would have lifted the age cap on the original program, and the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program that would have granted protection to the parents of citizens and legal permanent residents. Unfortunately, these attempts have been successful in preventing much needed relief from making its way to the community through both an expanded DACA and DAPA programs.

"We are dismayed by this ruling by the Supreme Court," said Leslie Moe-Kaiser, OCA National President. "Of the 11 million undocumented individuals living in the United States, 1.5 million are Asian American. These are our fathers, mothers, sisters, and brothers. When President Obama granted relief to eligible undocumented individuals using his lawful executive enforcement powers, he granted these undocumented members of our community a new lease on life where Congress had failed them so many times. He made it clear that America could no longer tolerate the moral ill of splitting up families and loved ones. The Supreme Court today sullied this vision of a pro-immigrant America by continuing the freeze on DACA and DAPA."

"Today's ruling also reinforces the importance of passing comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship. Until the passage of legislation that will ensure that our families can reunite and remain intact in this country, immigrants will continue to be threatened by separation and deportation. Undocumented families in America remain among the most vulnerable members of our society, and anti-immigrant groups will continue to try and disenfranchise and diminish these groups. We cannot allow anti-immigrant forces to redefine what it means to be an American, so OCA will continue to fight for our families, for reunification, and for comprehensive immigration reform," concluded Moe-Kaiser.

OCA and other Asian American and Pacific Islander community partners are planning to convene a nationwide call next week to discuss the impact of this decision and a way forward.

SAVE THE DATE!

Be a part of the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York.Join OCA-NY Dragons - use the form via the CONTACT tab above.

Learn the history and the art of Dragon boat racing.Exercise for your mind, body, and soul.​Sponsored byBruce Cost Ginger Ale Unfiltered.

MAY 2016

APRIL 2016

2016 PAID SUMMER INTERNSHIP

COORDINATE OCA-NY ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN ADVOCATES'

10TH ANNUAL HATE CRIMES PREVENTION ART PROJECT

OCA-NY is looking for a college student or recent college graduate for a full-time summer internship position to coordinate OCA-NY's 10th Annual Hate Crimes Prevention Art Project. This Project involves coordinating and training of diverse high school teenagers from select youth organizations on hate crimes and using art as a tool to prevent hate crimes. These youth will then devise the rules of a city-wide hate crimes art contest, advertise the contest, judge the submissions, and plan the opening of the Art Exhibit, which is the culmination of the Art Project. To commemorate the 10th year anniversary, the coordinator will also create an online picture timeline of past winning submissions. For more background about the history of the project, please go to http://www.oca-ny.org/hate-crimes-prevention-art-project.html

Dates of Internship: May 23 - August 20, 2016

Stipend: $2,500 (includes local travel expenses)

Application Deadline: Friday, April 22, 2016, 6 p.m. EST

Please send a cover letter, current resume and essay (500 words maximum) on why you should be selected for this position, include names and contact information of two references: one from someone who is knowledgeable about your character and leadership skills and one from a professor that has taught you within the last year. E-mail cover letter, resume, essay and references to info@oca-ny.org. Indicate in the subject line: "OCA-NY Hate Crimes Project Summer Internship-then put your name."

Greater New York OCA Chapters believe there are two victims to this tragic incident involving an accidental discharge. An innocent father of a young child is dead. And a career of a young rookie Officer is over. Both Akai Gurley and Officer Peter Liang are victims of multiple failed systems. The NYPD’s ill-advised practice of sending rookie officers to conduct vertical patrols in NYCHA buildings without proper supervision and training put Officer Liang in a compromised situation. If this practice had stopped, Officer Liang and his partner would not have been conducting vertical patrols that night. Furthermore, Akai Gurley would not have been in the darkened stairwell if NYCHA had fixed the elevators. And NYCHA’s failure to fix the lights in the stairwell made the situation even worse.

Officer Liang should not bear full responsibility for a less than perfect system. Historically, the criminal justice system has been lenient on officers who have committed even more egregious acts, whose cases have never been brought to trial. This specific case highlights a glaring contradiction in our criminal justice system. Police misconduct and brutality cases can get very disparate outcomes depending on which District Attorney is handling the case, which borough the incident occurred, and the race of the officer and victims involved. In order for the public to have confidence in our judicial system in cases involving police misconduct and brutality, there cannot be these glaring differences. Our judicial system cannot engage in selective prosecution. It must apply the same standards for all. In this case, a rookie police officer, who is an Asian American, is being scapegoated.

OCA continues to call for a fully funded independent prosecutor's office that will handle police misconduct and brutality cases. OCA will continue to monitor the case to ensure the sentencing for Officer Liang is fair and consistent with an accidental discharge.​

​- . -​

PRESS STATEMENT February 13, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: June Jee, President

PRESS STATEMENT ON THE OFFICER PETER LIANG CASE

There are no winners in this tragic case. Akai Gurley, an innocent father of a young child is dead and the career of a young officer has ended. Officer Liang should not bear the full responsibility for a less than perfect criminal justice system, which has traditionally been lenient on officers who have committed even more egregious acts, whose cases have never been brought to trial. This case indicates a glaring contradiction in our criminal justice system. Police misconduct and brutality cases can get very disparate outcomes depending upon which district attorney is handling the case and which borough the incident occurred in. In order for the public to have confidence in our judicial system in cases involving police misconduct and brutality, there cannot be these glaring differences. Our judicial system cannot engage in selective prosecution, it must apply the same standards for all. In this case, a rookie police officer, who happens to be an under-represented minority in the NYPD, had the book thrown at him. To hold all police officers to the same standard, OCA -NY continues to call for the creation of an independent prosecutor's office that will handle police-involved deaths.

OCA-NY will do what it can to ensure sentencing for Officer Liang is commensurate with that of an accidental misfire.

Founded in 1976, OCA-NY is a non-profit civil rights organization that promotes and protects the political, economic, and social rights of Asian Pacific Americans in New York City.

LUNAR NEW YEAR EVENTS

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​Come one! Come all! Come and join the Lunar New Year celebration with OCA-NY in Flushing on Saturday, February 13, 2016 and Sunday February 14, 2016 in Manhattan Chinatown.

2016 is the year of the Monkey. The year is 4714 in the Lunar calendar. According to the Chinese Horoscope, Monkey is a smart, naughty, wily and vigilant animal. Were you born in the year of the Monkey? Does your personality reflects like a monkey?Come and share your outlook with our members and friends.

​Flushing Lunar New Year Parade:WHEN: Saturday, February 13, 2016 WHERE: 39-01 Main Street. Suite 511. Flushing , NY 11354(We will march with Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce)Time: 9:30am for some hot coffee and donuts complements of Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce, and we'll head off to the parade site together at about 10:30AM.RSVP: Contact Chi Loek at 917-697-2842 or Chi_Loek@yahoo.com

Manhattan Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade:WHEN: Sunday, February 14, 2016WHERE: PS 130 at 143 Baxter Street, NYC.(We will meet for a toasty warm Pre-Parade party hosted by Families with Children from China (FCC)at the address above)TIME: 11:00 am inside of PS 130 and we will all march outside at 12:30pm lining up on Hester near Mulberry Street. RSVP: Contact Susie Yuen : snyuen@aol.com or 917-757-9685

The parade lasts about an hour to an hour and half; dress warmly and in layers. If you have monkey costume, wear it proudly. Budget enough time to get to the meeting place since many streets will be closed for the parade. Afterwards, please join us for lunch. See you all soon!

January 2016

On December 18, 2015 JiaJia was brutally slashed across her face and throat by an attacker as she walked to school. The assailant is still at large and JiaJia was left with over two hundred stitches.

Assemblyman Ron Kim's press conference to announce a special fund for Jia Jia, the young exchange student from China who was an unfortunate victim of a heinious slashing. You can make your donation at: GoFundMe.com/SupportJiaJia or you can send a check to:

Please come and meet the OCA-NY candidates and the Board, mingle with friends, reminisce over the past year, and discuss OCA-NY’s plans for the coming year.

November 2015

October 2015

SEPTEMBER 2015

AUGUST 2015

https://www.facebook.com/events/1648129165474035/

OCA-NY members & friends, come join us for a great evening! OCA-NY is proud to co-sponsor with MOCA on a special preview of Lucky ChowThu, Aug 27, 2015 @ 7:15pm - 8:30pm

Admission is FREE and open to the public; Seats are limited and RSVP is required.

Dir. Bruce Seidel | USA | 2015 | 2 Episodes; 30 min each

Enjoy a special preview of this upcoming PBS series that takes audiences across the country to show us how Asian Cuisine has transformed the landscape of food in the United States.

Lucky Chow follows LUCKYRICE culinary festival founder Danielle Chang as she tastes, explores, and learns about a variety of Asian food – from ramen, to kimchi, to dim sum. Followed by Q&A with Danielle Chang.

Before the screening, catch a curator-led tour of Water to Paper, Paint to Sky: The Art of Tyrus Wong.

USCIS Cantonese Presentation on the Naturalization ProcessThe U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) invites you to participate in a national Cantonese engagement, Jiao Liu, on Wednesday, August 19, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.During the first national Cantonese session, USCIS representatives will provide information aboutThe Naturalization Process – Becoming a United States Citizen. Stakeholders may participate:

For further information:Please email USCIS at public.engagement@uscis.dhs.gov and reference “Jiao Liu” in the subject line and include your full name, email address, and the organization you represent.

Founded in 1973, OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national non-profit civil rights organization promoting and protecting the political, economic, and cultural rights of Asian Pacific Americans in America. We are interested in working with anyone who shares our mission of creating a stronger America by advocating for the values of equal liberty and justice for all.

OCA-NY is a 501(c)(3) organization. Our financial statements are submitted annually to the IRS. All of our board members are volunteers.